SUNY trustees unanimously passed resolution calling for Dream Act policies in New York

(New York, NY) – Today, the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution calling for legislation that would allow for undocumented immigrants to have the same access to tuition assistance, loans, and in-state tuition rates as every other student in New York State. Senator Adriano Espaillat (D – Manhattan/Bronx) released the following statement:

Businesses assisted on various fronts including MWBE certification, license/permits, workers’ compensation, and doing business with the state

(New York, NY) – Over 150 small businesses, representing a cross-section of local economic activity in Manhattan and the Bronx, participated in an important training for Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) organized by State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, and other local officials.

Today, NY State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D – Manhattan/Bronx) expressed strong support for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, applauding many of the important points included in the governor’s 2012 agenda.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Just days ago, he was pleading for his life on the steps of City Hall. Now on Christmas eve, Octavio Estevez and his family have a place to live and a chance at a future together.

Estevez is in need of a kidney transplant and had to leave his job because of his health. Because he couldn’t afford his rent, he and family have been living in a shelter.

Without a permanent home, hospitals have said they can’t perform the kidney transplant surgery Estevez needs to stay alive.

Estevez, 54, in the terminal stages of renal disease, is in dire need of a kidney.

For the last week, and long before, Estevez’s life has taken a series of dramatic, and sometimes harrowing, turns.

But this past Sat., Dec. 24th, on “Nochebuena,” or Christmas Eve, Estevez, who’d been living with his family in a Bronx shelter for months, received keys to a new apartment in Washington Heights – keys which may very well save his life.

Octavio Estevez has been struggling to find housing for over a year, after learning that transplant surgery would require stable housing

Mr. Estevez, his wife and two young children were brought to see their new apartment for the first time

New York, NY – Christmas came a day early today for Octavio Estevez and his family, who were today presented with the keys to a new apartment after over a year in the shelter system. Mr. Estevez's case recently gained prominence with reports on his life-and-death struggle with regulations for city housing and organ transplants.

Gov. Cuomo thanks Sen. Espaillat and other leaders for helping craft a compromise that will benefit New York City taxi and livery cab drivers as well as customers

(New York, NY) – Sen. Adriano Espaillat joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo in touting major progress made as a result of the livery cab bill agreement announced this evening. The agreement – allowing legal street hails for livery cab drivers and increasing handicap accessibility – will be a major boost for drivers in the livery cab industry, who largely come from immigrant communities while protecting yellow cab drivers.